{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/medical-act-1983/section-31A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/medical-act-1983/section-31A.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1983/54",
  "legislation_title": "Medical Act 1983",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/medical-act-1983",
  "path": "section/31A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "31A",
  "heading": "Voluntary removal from ... any of the registers.",
  "text": "(1) The General Council may make regulations—\n(a) providing for the erasure by the Registrar from ... any of the registers of the name of any person who applies, in the manner prescribed by the regulations, for his name to be erased from ... any of the registers;\n(b) providing for the refusal by the Registrar of applications under paragraph (a) above in such cases and circumstances as may be prescribed by the regulations;\n(c) making provision (including provision requiring the approval of the General Council or of one of the statutory committees) for the restoration to ... any of the registers of the name of any person whose name has been erased in accordance with regulations made in pursuance of paragraph (a) above.\n(1A) Regulations under subsection (1)(c) above shall provide that, in such circumstances as may be prescribed, a person’s name is not to be restored to ... any of the registers unless—\n(a) the General Council or a committee of the General Council so direct after making such investigation into his fitness to practise as they think fit;\n(b) the practitioner’s licence to practise is restored in accordance with the regulations; or\n(c) both (a) and (b) are met.\n(1B) In subsection (1A) above, “prescribed” means prescribed under regulations made under subsection (1) above.\n(1C) Regulations under subsection (1)(c) above may include provision, where the person concerned is required to submit to or undertake an assessment by virtue of paragraph 5A or 5C of Schedule 4, for requiring the General Council or a committee of the Council to take into account—\n(a) whether the assessment was carried out,\n(b) whether any requirements imposed in respect of the assessment were complied with, and\n(c) if the assessment was carried out, the results of the assessment.\n(2) Regulations under this section shall not have effect until approved by order of the Privy Council.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 31A heading substituted (11.2.2010 for specified purposes, 1.4.2010 in so far as not already in force) by The General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/234), art. 1(3)(4), Sch. 1 para. 6(a); S.I. 2010/478, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 31A inserted (18.5.2000) by 1995 c. 51, s. 2; S.I. 2000/1344, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 31A(1)(a) substituted (11.2.2010 for specified purposes, 1.4.2010 in so far as not already in force) by The General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/234), art. 1(3)(4), Sch. 1 para. 6(b)(i); S.I. 2010/478, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 31A(1)(a) substituted (11.2.2010 for specified purposes, 1.4.2010 in so far as not already in force) by The General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/234), art. 1(3)(4), Sch. 1 para. 6(b)(ii); S.I. 2010/478, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 31A(1)(c) substituted (11.2.2010 for specified purposes, 1.4.2010 in so far as not already in force) by The General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/234), art. 1(3)(4), Sch. 1 para. 6(c); S.I. 2010/478, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "S. 31A(1A)(1B) inserted (7.7.2004 as notified in the London Gazette dated 2.7.2004) by The Medical Act 1983 (Amendment) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/3135), arts. 1(2)(3), 12(3) (with Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 31A(1A) substituted (11.2.2010 for specified purposes, 1.4.2010 in so far as not already in force) by The General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/234), art. 1(3)(4), Sch. 1 para. 6(c); S.I. 2010/478, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 31A(1C) inserted (3.8.2015) by The General Medical Council (Fitness to Practise and Over-arching Objective) and the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (References to Court) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/794), arts. 1(3), 12(2); S.I. 2015/1579, art. 2(i) (with art. 3)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/54/section/31A",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:04:57.676542+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}